Tag Archives: kei
KEI HERO: The Suzuki Cappuccino is to the Miata what the Miata is to all other cars
Kei cars are an important and inescapable aspect of life in the Land of the Rising Sun. Some are important because they were a landmark of technology, and others because they were the first of their kind, and still others because they were … Continue reading
NEWS: Daihatsu debuts retro-styled Mira Tocot kei car
Daihatsu says that its Mira Tocot is designed for women, but we kind of want one. The styling is appealingly somewhat retro, and reminds of the Nissan Pao. It has the same utilitarian look and comes in cool throwback colors, and as most kei … Continue reading
NEWS: Retro fourth-gen Suzuki Jimny leaked ahead of July debut
Though it has been on the market for nearly 50 years, the stalwart Suzuki Jimny has had only three complete generational changes. The fourth generation of the kei SUV debuts this July, but renderings based on leaked information in Japan’s Best … Continue reading
VIDEO: A cartoon history of the Suzuki Alto and motorcycle business
After a brief hiatus, Suzuki is back with two new cartoon videos explaining how the company got where it is today. The first outlines the genesis of the Alto, a revered name in kei cars, and the second explains how … Continue reading
This Kenmeri Skyline does not look o-kei
Japan is a place where space to park for your car is at a premium. Compared to most driving populations, Japan is full of visible feats of Jedi parking, where cars are squeezed with millimetric precision into the smallest parking … Continue reading
KEI HERO: Mazda R360 Coupé
Of all the mainstream carmakers, Mazda puts the most stock into the driving experience and the sportiness of their vehicles. However, this is not just a recent occurrence. Mazda’s had drivers’ cars in their blood since their first post-war passenger car. Let’s take … Continue reading
KEI HERO: Suzuki Alto Works
Poor America. We don’t even know how bad we have it. In the States, we think of hatchbacks as puny, minimally equipped tin cans that people buy because they can’t afford something better. Elsewhere in the world and especially in Japan, not only are … Continue reading
25 YEAR CLUB: Mazda Autozam AZ-1
Kei cars are cool. Slow and small they might be, but they are feats of engineering ingenuity that extract the most space, efficiency, and usability out of a tightly defined set of rules. And sometimes, the most fun as well. … Continue reading
VIDEO: What it’s like to drive an Autozam AZ-1
“Ridge Racer-feeling” are the words used to describe the Autozam AZ-1, the Mazda-Suzuki collab that was quite possibly the pinnacle of the kei car breed. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, just death and taxes, or something like that. So in … Continue reading
Tokyo Motor Show: The heritage is strong with Daihatsu
Daihatsu came out strong this year with heritage models. We’ve already seen the Daihatsu DN Compagno concept, which shared the stage with a classic Compagno. Also at the Daihatsu stage was its most iconic nostalgic car, a 1959 Midget.
Posted in Tokyo Motor Show
Tagged daihatsu, DN Pro Cargo, kei, midget, TMS 2017, tokyo motor show
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NEWS: Daihatsu’s retro concepts for the Tokyo Motor Show
This year’s Tokyo Motor Show might see the revival of some legendary models — Supra, Z, S2000, Evo — but it might be Daihatsu that takes the cake for the most charming heritage concepts this year. The compact car specialist has revealed a … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged compagno, daihatsu, DN Compagno, DN Pro Cargo, kei, midget, tokyo motor show
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Have a relaxing Labor Day from JNC
It’s Labor Day in the United States so the JNC staff is taking a break from our regularly scheduled program until tomorrow. Fifty years ago, though, the Mazda factory was hard at work churning out three-wheeled trucks. The K360 kei car … Continue reading
NEWS: Honda announces reproduction parts for the Beat
Twenty-six years after the car’s debut, Honda has announced that it will begin making reproduction parts for its Beat sports car. The mid-engined kei roadster, introduced in May 1991, is a beloved enthusiast’s car in Japan, the only market in which … Continue reading
Mazda restoring its first production passenger car, the R360 Coupé
Back in early 2015, Mazda embarked on a restoration project of a 1967 Cosmo Sport. As we reported, it began with the company desiring to instill the Mazda spirit in the carmaker’s next generation of employees through close study of heritage, … Continue reading
